The Two Hardest Words
by SurlyCoach
Summary: It's hard enough for Coach Eric Taylor to say "I'm sorry" to Tami. But to say it to his sister-in-law? Just shoot him now. He did kick her out of the house, though, and Tami is - let us say - displeased.


**A/N:** **Getting ready to go offline for a bit and reposting a bunch of old stuff to the archives that got deleted. Hoping for some reviews from people who missed these things in the days of yore. Enjoy.**

Coach Taylor sat at the desk in his office at school and leaned back in his swivel chair. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "Shelley," he said to the empty office, "I'm just calling to say I'm sorry for being rude. We appreciated your help. It's just - - you annoy the hell out of me." He opened his eyes. He sat forward. He sighed. "No."

He leaned back in his chair again. "Shelley," he said to the back of the closed office door. "I'm sorry I sort of yelled at you and said we were wondering when you were going to leave. It's just you have no concept of privacy. You can't take and use other people's stuff without asking. And you can't walk around in your brother-in-law's house wearing nothing but a goddamn towel. I mean, Christ, I'm just a man."

He shook his head. "No." He put his arms behind his head. He brought his elbows nearly together at the sides of his head and winced. He stretched his arms back again. "Shelley," he said to the hung-up phone sitting on his desk, "I'm sorry I got so upset you recorded over my game. You've been a big help. You've saved us a lot of money. But I'd really like to have sex with my wife without having to worry about you knocking on the door and asking where the corckscrew is."

He put his elbows on the desk and put his face in his hands and grrrrrrred. He had to do this. He promised Tami he'd do this. He'd upset her by kicking Shelley out of the house without discussing it with her first. Not that he'd really kicked her out. He'd just lost it and made it clear he wanted her out. Tami hadn't liked it.

Still, Tami hadn't gotten as mad at him as he'd been afraid she would. "Did you kick my sister out of the house today?" she'd asked when he got home. His heart had sunk right then and there. Right into the pit of his stomach. She scared him sometimes, his wife.

Still, to hear the way other guys talked about their wives - - it seemed he had it pretty easy with Tami. She liked to wrap issues up as soon as possible. She didn't drag things out to punish him. She always forgave him. And usually pretty quickly too. He was lucky that way. Damn lucky. God he loved her. And he'd promised her he was going to apologize to her sister. He owed Tami that.

He picked up the phone and dialed. "Hey, Shelley," he said. "It's Eric."

"Yes?" she said.

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize for the way I…listen. I was a bit of an ass."

"You were."

He ground his teeth. Stick to the script, he thought. "And I'm sorry. I very much appreciate that you helped out with Gracie Belle. We're lucky to have a family member like you."

"You sure are."

He closed his eyes. Stick to the script. "Tami loves her job and it wouldn't have been easy for her to go back to work without you to help make that transition. I'm sorry for saying what I said the way I said it. I can be a little irritable sometimes."

"Tell me about it. Okay. Apology accepted."

"So we're a'right?"

"Sure," Shelley said.

"I made it right?"

"Well...okay."

"So, if you see or talk to Tami, you'll tell her I apologized and you appreciated my apology?"

"I said I _accepted_ your apology, Eric. I didn't say I _appreciated_ it."

"Oh. Okay. Bye now." He hung up the phone.

He felt like he'd done a half-assed job of the apology. But he'd done what he said he would do. He'd fulfilled his promise to Tami. He hoped it pleased her. Not that she was mad at him anymore, but he wanted more than for her not to be mad. He wanted her to be pleased.

_Knock. Knock_, came a rap on his door. "Come in!" he hollered. It was Tami. He smiled. He loved it when she stopped by and surprised him. Usually she was too busy. They'd pass in the halls sometimes, stop and talk, but he tried his damnedest not to touch her in the halls. It didn't seem appropriate to be displaying affection in school, where the kids could see. He hated not touching her. Sometimes he felt this energy between them, and he just wanted to reach out and pull her to him and kiss her...and knowing he shouldn't do it heightened his desire all the more. So when she came into his office, and he was alone, he loved it. He knew it always meant a touch at least, a hug. Usually a quick kiss too. Sometimes two kisses. Or one kiss that was as long as two quick ones.

He had this recurring fantasy, too, where she sat on his office desk and he stood in front of her and they had hot, passionate, semi-rough sex - - but of course that wasn't ever going to happen. Nothing remotely like that was ever going to happen. Even if she was willing, he'd be way too nervous someone might knock on the door. Actually - - truth be told - - Tami was much more risky than he was when it came to stuff like that. In real life, he pretty much liked to be behind the closed, locked bedroom door. Still, he liked to _fantasize_ about it. And he couldn't help but think of it every time she came into his office.

"Hey," she said. "Just had a minute and I thought I'd stop by." She came over and put an arm around him. He kissed the hand that was on his shoulder. He lay his cheek against it and shut his eyes.

"I called Shelley," he murmurred. "Apologized. We're good. I made it right."

"Good," she said and squeezed his shoulder. She came around and sat on his desk. She crossed her legs. She hadn't done it sexily or anything - - no more sexily than usual, anyway, though he thought she was a bit sexy by nature, without having to try.

She never sat on his desk like that, right there in front of him, and now he just couldn't help it - - he was _really_ thinking about that fantasy now. He swallowed and crossed his legs. He plucked his cap off his head and put it in his lap.

"I appreciate that, hon," she said.

"I'm sorry," Coach Taylor told his wife. "I know I upset you."

"It's okay. You're forgiven."

"I know, but...I hate...you know I hate to upset you."

"I know." She smiled. "Give me a kiss before I go," she said. He stood up, just like in his fantasy, and they were hip to hip. He leaned down and kissed her. She opened her mouth just a little bit. He snuck in his tongue. Their tongues danced together. She pulled away. He was breathing hard. "Sorry," she said. "I really didn't mean to get you going." She glanced down at him. Now that he wasn't holding the cap in his lap anymore, the truth was apparent. She giggled. "You uh...you better take a moment before you go to your P.E. class. Be late if you have to."

"I know," he said and swallowed. "Do me a favor. Don't sit on my desk again."

"Why?" she asked.

"Just - - don't."

"Okay. Didn't know you were so possessive of your desk." She slid off it. She smiled and ruffled his hair and whispered, "Try not to run practice too late this afternoon. I'd like a little quality time with you. Now that Shelley's finally out of the house and we don't have to worry about - - interruptions."

"I'll wrap it up early," he promised.

She swayed her hips a little as she walked out and closed the door behind her. He sat back down in his chair. He took a calming breath. He looked at his watch. Yep. No question about it. He was going to be late for P.E.

**/ And That There's the End /**


End file.
